The present invention relates to an elevated conveyor for transporting paper sheets.
It is known from the prior art, for the purpose of conveying sheets, to use transporting arrangements designed specifically for this purpose.
Said transporting arrangements usually comprise transporting belts or roller conveying arrangements which are arranged in a horizontal plane; provided for the transportation of the sheets in a vertically arranged plane are transporting sections which are provided specifically for this purpose.
The horizontally arranged transporting paths are usually arranged above the floor-level plane on which the printing machine is accommodated.
It is frequently the case that sub-sections of the horizontally arranged transporting arrangement are also provided in higher-level planes -above the printing machines.
In order to convey the sheets from the horizontal transporting section arranged above the floor to the conveying sections which are arranged in a higher-level plane above the printing machine, and are usually equipped as elevated conveying arrangements, it is essential to provide connecting sections for the intermediate transportation of the sheets in a vertical plane.
Said vertically arranged transporting arrangements, as have been disclosed from the prior art, comprise a framework with a vertical axis, and the framework accommodates at certain intervals, which are defined at the manufacturer""s, conveying apparatuses which comprise circumferentially extending bearing means and have transversely arranged retaining struts which are arranged in a horizontal plane.
The struts, which are arranged in a horizontal plane, accommodate groups of rollers and guide arrangements for the conveying belts, which are arranged for the quick transportation of the imbricated sheets from a bottom, horizontal plane to a top plane.
Provided in the top plane is an elevated conveying arrangement which extends above the printing machine.
The known, mechanical arrangements for realizing vertically arranged transporting arrangements of the type mentioned comprise vertically arranged supports which accommodate bearing means which are arranged horizontally at regular intervals, which are predetermined at the factory, and consist, for example, of flat material, and the supports of the apparatus run round in the circumferential direction.
In the known apparatuses, the flat profiles are fixed to the supports, e.g. using a welding operation.
By virtue of connecting the flat profiles to the supports of the vertically running transporting arrangement using a welding process, it becomes clear that, prior to completion of the transporting arrangement running in a vertical plane, it is essential for the dimensions of the vertical transporting arrangement to be defined accurately at the manufacturer""s and, in the process, for account to be taken of the precise dimensions of the format of the sheets which are to be transported.
Since it is not possible, in the known arrangements, to change the mutual spacing of the bearings, arranged in horizontal planes, in an adjustment operation, it will not be possible either for sheets of different dimensions to be transported by vertical transporting arrangements designed in this way.
In addition, it will not be possible either to use a modular design for the production of the vertically arranged transporting arrangements, which means that it is necessary to provide, for each sheet-conveying arrangement, a vertically running transporting arrangement which has to be produced at the factory, assembled and adjusted fully in dependence on the format.
It is an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and to propose a transporting apparatus of the abovementioned type which extends in a vertical plane, is of modular construction, allows the individual bearing means to be arranged quickly in different, horizontal planes, and permits adaptation to the dimensions of the sheet formats in order that it is also possible for sheets of different dimensions to be transported reliably by the vertical conveying arrangement.
A further object of the invention is to propose a means which allows precise adjustment of the position of the individual horizontally arranged components in relation to the supports of the arrangement.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a vertically arranged conveying arrangement for sheets, comprising vertically arranged supports which have horizontally spaced-apart bearing arrangements with groups of rollers and guide means for moving the transporting belts, and the conveying arrangement is defined in that the supports of the vertical transporting arrangement comprise profile elements which have guide grooves along their side surfaces, in that the guide grooves extend over the entire length of the support, and projecting from the circumference of the horizontally arranged bearing means are connecting plates which enclose a support on two opposite sides, in that connecting tongues project from the plate sides which are directed toward the support, and said connecting tongues can be introduced into the grooves of the supports and are connected to the threaded part of a tightening screw which is connected to the bearing plate.